starwars_exodusfandomcom-20200216-history
Linshi Monks
The Linshi Monks are a religious group largely made up of telepathic beings who worship the god Lin’La’Se, which they believe resides somewhere within the Lin’La’Se Nebula. Linshi is at once a religion and a way of life for the devout. All races and genders are welcome into the Linshi so long as they abide by their guidelines. Non-telepaths are also welcomed into the Linshi, but rarely achieve any position of prominence since many of the Linshi teachings are built around pure mental communication once a monk reaches the higher levels. Linshi is heavily practiced on Lin’La where the religion was first developed. Even those who aren’t ardent members of the Linshi on Lin’La usually contribute in some way to it. Monks are often sent to other worlds in the galaxy to try and recruit more members to their faith or even set up temples outside of Lin’La. These efforts are met with mixed success depending on where they go since Linshi requires an enormous commitment. The Linshi Monks are the government and military of their people. They are a peaceful order, but won’t hesitate to defend themselves if provoked. Their general rule is to never start a fight but to always finish one. However, preemptive strikes are acceptable if they’re made against a clear threat. The Linshi are also responsible for the development of Mokurai, known to the galaxy at large as Linshi Martial Arts. All monks, no matter what level, have some training in Mokurai. =Ranks= *'Grand Master' The leader of the Linshi as well as the leader of all of Lin’La’Se, the Grand Master must have achieved the epitome of the three tenets of the Linshi faith: Purity of Body, Purity of Mind, and Purity of Soul. The Grand Master is always elected from out of the Enlightened Council. When a monk achieves the title of Grand Master, the honorary title of “Lin” is added to the front of their name and becomes a permanent part of it. This signifies that the monk has not only achieved the epitome of status among the Linshi, but is also expected to keep in mind that the interests of the Lin people come before the Grand Master’s own. *'Enlightened Master' Enlightened Masters are monks who have achieved enlightenment by mastering the three tenets of the Linshi faith. One of the clearest indications of reaching enlightenment is the ability of the monks to sustain their physical bodies entirely through faith (the Force). After demonstrating their understanding, they become part of the Enlightened Council. Very few ever reach this level. *'Master' A Master is a monk who has returned to Lin’La after traveling the galaxy as a Journeyer. Upon their return, they must pass a test given to them by the Enlightened Council that proves that they have a firm grasp of, and adhere to, the three tenets of the Linshi faith. All ranks at Master and above are able to start training new students on their own. *'Journeyer' A Journeyer is an Apprentice who has completed their training under their Master and has been deemed worthy to undertake the Journey of Wisdom. After five years, Journeyers are allowed to return and test to see if they’re worthy of being Masters, however they are not required to return at the five year mark, only to remain on the outside for that long. *'Apprentice' Apprentices are Chosen who have completed the basic Linshi training and are deemed worthy of training under a Master. It is at this stage of training that Linshi narrow down their focus, such as choosing a weapon that fits them best. The three tenets of the Linshi faith are also explored more deeply. In addition, apprentices are frequently sent out on missions within Lin’La’Se space to gain experience. *'Chosen' The beginning rank of all new members of the Linshi, Chosen can be accepted as young as six years old but there is no upper age limit. They are taught about the three tenets of the Linshi faith and how to apply them to their lives. Chosen are also instructed in Linshi Martial Arts. Chosen do not learn under a single Master, but instead attend classes until they are deemed worthy of becoming Apprentices. =Basic Beliefs= The basis of Linshi is to achieve purity of body and mind, thereby achieving purity of soul. Only then, the monks believe, can one manage to contact the god Lin’La’Se and carryout his will. This level of enlightenment is the life’s goal for every monk who joins the Linshi although few ever manage to fully attain it. Purity of Body Achieving purity of body is accomplished by a strict regimen of exercise and martial arts training. Mokurai is the preferred style taught to all monks, since not only does this cover hand-to-hand fighting skills, it also incorporates melee weapon training too. Other styles may be added later should the monk desire it. The Linshi do not condone mechanical augmentations of any kind, believing that they contaminate the natural purity of the body. In addition drug use is strictly forbidden unless they are approved for medical use. Non-Lin are expected to keep a close eye on their diet; Lin are exempt since they can only use nutrient injections. Purity of Mind Achieving purity of mind is the second and much more difficult step towards reaching purity of soul as it can be somewhat ambiguous. Aside from ethical and moral guidelines, the monks are also expected to undergo telepathic exercises to strengthen their mental abilities. Once they reach a certain level, the instructor sends their pupils away to grow on their own. Despite the common misconception, there are no strictures against feeling one’s emotions. The Linshi tend to be very open with how they feel and aren’t shy when it comes to sex or other areas some cultures would find taboo. In fact the Linshi have developed telepathic techniques to heighten the pleasure that comes from intercourse, believing it to be as spiritual an experience as meditation. However, purity of mind is considered to be sullied when a monk allows these pleasures to become excessive or becomes ruled by their emotions. The simple rule of thumb is for a Linshi to take everything in moderation. Purity of Soul The ultimate goal of the Linshi, purity of soul is never easily achieved. Even with purity of body and mind, there is no guarantee a monk will ever reach purity of soul. Those that do, however, seem to have a special awareness of the universe around them. It is not something that can be taught, only experienced. Very few outside of the Grand Master and the Enlightened Council can make any claim towards reaching this level. =Important Events= The Linshi have several events that are important to them. Most of these are ceremonies that every monk must go through in the course of their training, but there is at least one special day that the monks set aside as a holiday. Holidays Holy Communion Holy Communion is celebrated once every standard galactic year on the day it is said that the founder of the Linshi, Lin-Loh, first made contact with the god Lin’La’Se. All monks observe this holiday in some way. Most monks use the entire day for meditation and reflection about their own communion with, or commitment to, Lin’La’Se. If they can, many spend the day with their families. Naturally, since the Linshi are their own government, not everyone can take the entire day off, but for those that must be on duty, time is given for them to observe Holy Communion. This usually amounts to half a day, but depending on their job, might be reduced to only a few hours. In effect, all business shuts down for the day and the borders of Lin’La’Se are closed to any incoming ships until Holy Communion is over. Ceremonies There are three important ceremonies to the Linshi Monks, each one representing one of the tenets of their faith. No monk is required to take part in these ceremonies to be a member of the Linshi, but they are usually such an integrated part of the teachings that all monks take part in them regardless. Of the three major ceremonies, only the Journey of Wisdom is required to advance to the final levels of Linshi. Bonding of the Weapon The first ceremony undertaken by Linshi is also a Mokurai ceremony, known as the Bonding of the Weapon. Since Mokurai training is usually synonymous with Linshi training, it has become an established practice for all monks to undergo this ceremony. The Bonding of the Weapon occurs after a monk has chosen a preferred weapon and trained with a durasteel version under a master. Once the master deems that the monk is competent with the weapon, they will give the okay for them to craft their own personal version using Lin Steel. The monk will then study under a mastercrafter to learn how to forge their weapon. Once this is achieved, the Bonding of the Weapon begins. The monk will be given access to molten Lin Steel with which they will create their weapon by hand. It is common practice, however, for a mastercrafter to standby and supervise the process. A lot of thought and practice goes into the process before the monk is allowed access to Lin Steel because after the weapon has been forged, it will remain by the monk’s side for the rest of their life. In most cases, the monk will also name their weapon. After the Bonding of the Weapon, the monk will usually train with their weaponmaster with their new weapon until it is time for them to undertake the next ceremony, the Journey of Wisdom. Afterwards, it is up to the monk to continue practicing with their weapon on their own. The ceremony represents the Linshi tenet of Purity of Body, as the weapon becomes a manifested symbol of the monk’s own body. The reasoning is simple: much like the fact that a weapon should be free from any impurities, so to should a monk’s body. Forging a lifelong weapon of their choosing demonstrates their commitment to this tenet. Journey of Wisdom The Journey of Wisdom is the next major ceremony to be undertaken by a Linshi. The monk is given Journeyer status and is sent out into the galaxy for a period of at least five years to gain a more universal understanding of what awaits beyond the borders of Lin’La’Se. Alternatively, a monk may choose to stay within the borders of Lin’La’Se, but be confined to another planet different from the one they trained on. Most monks choose to journey out into the galaxy as it better fulfills the intended purpose of the ceremony. The Journey of Wisdom is required for all monks wishing to advance to Master status. The Journey of Wisdom is designed to allow the monk to find their own way in life and discover new ways of thinking outside of their instructor’s views. While on the journey, they are not allowed to either return to Lin’La’Se, or leave the planet they’ve been sent to inside Lin’La’Se’s borders (depending on their choice). Five years is deemed an appropriate amount of time for a monk to complete the journey, but they can remain on it longer if they feel it is necessary. The ceremony represents the Linshi tenet of Purity of Mind, for one must be able to respect the opinions and ideas of others, if one is to respect their own. Integration of the Soul The last major ceremony for the Linshi is undertaken only upon a monk’s death. Their body is cremated and the ashes shot into the Lin’La’Se Nebula. The ceremony is simple and undertaken by family or friends. It is seen as a way to allow those who never reached enlightenment to finally shed the last of their impurities in death and become one with the god Lin’La’Se. For those who did reach enlightenment, it is believed that the last remains of their mortal forms, mixing with the others, can help guide those previously non-enlightened souls to Lin’La’Se. Additionally, the monk’s personal weapon is usually melted down in the foundries used to create Lin Steel so that any weapon created will carry the legacy of the Linshi inside it. There are exceptions to this, as some weapons are so revered that they become holy relics. Usually the monk will dictate if they’d like their weapon to be melted down or not. If they don’t, the decision will be left up to the family. If the monk was particularly important, the Enlightened Council may also decide what becomes of the weapon. The ceremony represents the Linshi tenet of Purity of Soul. Category:OrganizationsCategory:Exodus OrganizationsCategory:Force-based OrganisationsCategory:LinshiCategory:HalomekCategory:Featured Article